I've wordsmithed the first paragraph. (It struck me as a
bit ponderous/passive-voiced etc; and it may very well be the
only paragraph people will look at.) I'm thinking over at the others.
> Jan 26th 2004
> Dear fellow resident,
Something other than resident? It sounds like someone
locked up in a drug-therapy unit. (I haven't a alternative ATM.)
> Thank you for taking the time to examine this Open Source
> software package. We are delighted to be offered the chance
> to show that Linux and other Open Source Software (OSS)
> projects can make a substantial improvement in the daily
> function of local and national governments. Even when not used
> its existence can foster a more open and reduced cost
> environment.
Thanks for taking a look at this Open Source software package.
We are delighted to have this chance to show the contribution that
using Linux and other Open Source Software (OSS) projects can make
to daily operations in local and national government. [[Even its very
existence helps foster a more open and cost-competitive environment
in the office-software market. ]]
(This last sentence is a bit of a "wink-wink": I'm guessing it is
really saying "It helps you get better discounts from M$". Would
it be too sleazy to just say that straight out? I'm inclined to
leave it out -- its mentioned below.
> The Edinburgh Linux User Group (EdLUG) has been promoting, and
> providing free technical support for, OSS in Edinburgh and the
> Central Lothian region from 1998 through to the present. In
> that time we have seen OSS develop from a hobby into a
> substantial force in public and private sectors. This
> expansion in usability and the range of available application
> software has been accompanied by the adoption of Linux on a
> large scale by main stream companies, such as IBM, Sun
> Microsystems, Novell and Hewlett Packard. OSS has also been
> adopted on the large scale by local and national government in
> areas such as Munich, Brazil and, recently, Israel.
I think there are two things here:
* There's support around.
* Lot's of big boys use it.
> OSS today is free, easy to use and of high quality. It has
> proven effective in reducing IT costs in almost every area it
> has been deployed. Even in government areas still using
> MicroSoft products, significant saving has been won from the
> larger vendors through competitive pressure from deployable
> Open Source alternatives. The open model of software
> development has introduced new paths of software adoption by
> public and private institutions. These include:
> Affordable development of bespoke applications;
> Piecemeal deployment of new applications, through extensive
> interoperation with existing and commercial applications;
> Control of the software upgrade cycle; and
> The freedom to separate hardware upgrades from those of software.
> In each case, OSS has great potential to reduce cost and, as
> important, to increase control of costs.
Cost.
> Where it is used, councils and governments have found that
> Open Source software increases participation in politics. It
> also reduces costs and increases uptime and reliability. Even
> the interactions with the public are improved. (While many
> government departments are saving substantial sums by emailing
> out MicroSoft Word documents rather than using traditional
> postal methods. To interact with these systems the public is
> faced with the overhead of a proprietary program suite.) Now
> thanks to Open Source Software, backed by Sun, OpenOffice.org
> (the free MicroSoft Office replacement) is available not only
> on the World Wide Web but in every lending library in Scotland.
Doesn't seem clear enough. Here's an attempt to simplify what's
being said here.
Councils and governments have found that Open Source software helps
reduce costs and increase uptime and reliability. There are also
benefits for communicating with the public and for public
participation. (Many government departments are saving money by
switching from paper ("snail") mail by sending instead MicroSoft Word
documents. Withoout open source software, the public would be faced
with buying and using a proprietary program suite.) Now thanks to Open
Source Software, backed by Sun, OpenOffice.org (the free MicroSoft
Office replacement) is available not only on the World Wide Web but in
every lending library in Scotland.
> The introduction of freely copyable OSS in public lending libraries is
> a European first and shows Scotland's leadership in OSS in the
> community. We urge you to consider the greater use of OSS in local and
> national government. In the end open, transparent, cost effective
> software benefits everyone through lower costs and greater control.
> Remember that the software on this CD only scratches the surface of
> the vast range of free, reliable, easy-to -use OSS, which already
> exists, and is ready to run on existing computers. OSS today gives
> institutional and individual users ever greater control of the cost of
> computing, and the quality of their software applications.
> Yours sincerely,
> snip---
> --
> Yours
> Faye
> This time she's the lesser of two evils.
> http://www.morpheux.org
> -
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> You can find the EdLUG mailing list FAQ list at:
> http://www.edlug.org.uk/list_faq.html
-
----------------------------------------------------------------------
You can find the EdLUG mailing list FAQ list at:
http://www.edlug.org.uk/list_faq.html